If you’ve ever yelled “Anna!” in a crowded room and watched three different people turn around, you already know this name is everywhere. From red carpets to tennis courts, from vampire dramas to Vogue covers, famous Annas and famous people named Ana have quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) shaped pop culture for decades.
This list-style guide rounds up dozens of standout Annas and Anas from film, TV, music, fashion, sports, history, and more. Think of it as your all-in-one reference for that moment you’re watching a movie and mutter, “Wait, which Anna is this again?”
Why the Name Anna (and Ana) Is Everywhere
Part of the reason there are so many famous people named Anna and Ana is that the name is truly global. Anna stems from the Hebrew name Hannah, usually interpreted as “grace” or “favor,” while Ana is a streamlined variation you’ll see in Spanish, Portuguese, Slavic, and many other languages. That built-in versatility makes it a natural choice in dozens of countries and cultures.
As a result, the name shows up in classic literature, royal family trees, rock bands, telenovelas, anime, prestige TV, and even video games. Whether you spell it Anna or Ana, you’re in very crowded – and very star-studded – company.
Hollywood Annas: Scene-Stealing Stars on Screen
Let’s start with the Annas that even your non-movie-buff friend can recognize. These actresses helped cement the name in modern Hollywood.
Comedy and Blockbuster Queens
- Anna Kendrick – The Oscar-nominated star of Up in the Air and the Pitch Perfect franchise, known for playing witty, relatable misfits and for having the social-media sense of humor of a chaotic group chat in human form.
- Anna Faris – Comedy powerhouse and podcast host who built a devoted fan base with the Scary Movie franchise, rom-coms like The House Bunny and What’s Your Number?, and the sitcom Mom.
- Anna Paquin – The child prodigy who won an Academy Award at 11 for The Piano, later known to genre fans as Rogue in the X-Men films and as Sookie Stackhouse in HBO’s vampire soap opera fever dream True Blood.
Prestige TV and Indie Darlings
- Anna Gunn – Best known as Skyler White on Breaking Bad, where she proved that being the exasperated voice of reason in a prestige drama is the quickest route to both Emmys and wildly unfair internet hate.
- Anna Chlumsky – From child star in My Girl to razor-sharp political aide in Veep, she’s the poster child for successfully navigating the “awkward teen to adult roles” transition.
- Anna Torv – Australian actress adored by sci-fi and gaming fans for Fringe, Mindhunter, and the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us.
- AnnaSophia Robb – The double-named Anna who charmed audiences in Bridge to Terabithia, Soul Surfer, and The Carrie Diaries.
- Anna Camp – You know her as the intimidatingly perfect a cappella leader from Pitch Perfect and from scene-stealing roles in True Blood and numerous sitcoms.
- Anna Nicole Smith – Model, reality-TV star, and tabloid fixture who became a cultural touchpoint of 1990s and early-2000s celebrity excess and tragedy.
Add in dozens more Annas across indie films, streaming series, and international cinema, and you quickly get why Hollywood is one of the biggest generators of famous Annas on the planet.
A-List Anas on Screen: From Bond Girl to Sitcom Mom
Switch the spelling to Ana and you get an equally glamorous lineup, especially in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking entertainment industries.
- Ana de Armas – Cuban-Spanish actress who went from Spanish TV to global fame with Blade Runner 2049, Knives Out, a scene-stealing turn as Paloma in No Time to Die, and an Oscar-nominated performance as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde.
- Ana Ortiz – Beloved as Hilda Suarez on Ugly Betty and for voice roles and supporting turns across film and TV.
- Ana Gasteyer – Comedian, singer, and former Saturday Night Live cast member, whose characters and musical parodies are still meme fuel decades later.
- Ana Brenda Contreras – Mexican-American actress and singer, well known for telenovelas and crossover roles in English-language TV.
- Ana Golja – Canadian actress and singer recognized from Degrassi and various family and teen dramas.
Because the spelling Ana is so common in Latin America and Spain, you’ll also find countless regional stars – news anchors, telenovela icons, and pop singers – whose fame is massive locally even if they don’t make global headlines.
Fashion, Music, and High-Culture Annas
The Fashion Powerhouse
- Anna Wintour – The legendary bob, the sunglasses, the front-row seat at basically every fashion event that matters. As longtime editor-in-chief of Vogue and now a global content executive, she’s one of the most influential Annas in publishing and fashion.
Singers, Musicians, and Performers
- Anna Netrebko – World-famous soprano whose name is synonymous with big opera houses and big, dramatic roles.
- Anna Nalick – Singer-songwriter behind early-2000s earworm “Breathe (2 AM),” permanently etched into the soundtrack of teen dramas and breakup playlists.
- Anna Calvi – British singer-songwriter and guitarist, critically acclaimed for her genre-bending art rock.
- Ana Gabriel – Mexican singer with a powerhouse voice and a massive catalog of Latin pop and ranchera classics.
- Ana Tijoux – Chilean-French rapper and singer who blends hip-hop with political and social commentary.
Whether your playlist leans more toward opera, indie rock, or Latin ballads, the odds are good that at least one Anna or Ana lives in your “Most Played” list.
Sporty Annas and Anas: Game, Set, Match
Sports fans also have plenty of famous people named Anna and Ana to cheer for – especially if you love tennis or winter sports.
- Anna Kournikova – Russian tennis star whose doubles success and off-court celebrity turned her into one of the most recognizable athletes of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
- Ana Ivanovic – Serbian tennis champion and former world No. 1 who won the French Open in 2008 and helped define a powerhouse era in women’s tennis.
- Anna Shcherbakova – Russian figure skater and Olympic gold medalist known for impossibly difficult jumps and cool, composed performances.
- Anna Veith – Austrian alpine ski racer and multiple World Cup champion who dominated in giant slalom and super-G events.
- Ana Marcela Cunha – Brazilian open-water swimmer and Olympic gold medalist, usually seen calmly destroying everyone else’s idea of what “long distance” means.
Between tennis Grand Slams, Olympic ice, and open-water marathons, Anna/Ana is a name that shows up on medals, trophies, and record books around the world.
Historical and Political Annas You Might Not Realize Are Annas
The name Anna also shows up in more serious corners of history and politics, sometimes hiding in plain sight.
- Anna Eleanor “Eleanor” Roosevelt – The longest-serving First Lady of the United States and a major human-rights advocate; her first given name was actually Anna.
- Anna Politkovskaya – Russian journalist and human-rights activist known for her courageous reporting on corruption and conflict.
- Anna Komnene – Byzantine princess and historian who wrote the Alexiad, one of the key primary sources for the Crusades.
- Anna Akhmatova – One of Russia’s greatest 20th-century poets, whose work captured the trauma and resilience of life under totalitarian rule.
So even when you’re reading a history book instead of scrolling celebrity gossip, there’s a good chance an Anna is right there in the footnotes, shaping events behind the scenes.
Wait…Where Are All 90 Annas and Anas?
Listing detailed biographies for all 90 famous Annas and Anas would turn this into a small encyclopedia instead of a readable article. Instead, this guide highlights some of the best-known women with the name while nodding to the many others filling out the full “top 90” lists – from regional TV hosts and models to lesser-known Olympians, authors, influencers, and historical figures.
The big takeaway: if your name is Anna or Ana, you share it with actors, athletes, journalists, fashion editors, pop stars, princesses, and poets. It’s hard to find a more flexible, “fits-any-life-path” name.
Real-Life Experiences With the Name Anna and Ana
Beyond the celebrity lists, what is it actually like to live with the name Anna or Ana in everyday life? Ask around, and you’ll hear a mix of stories that range from “I’m always the third Anna in the group chat” to “Strangers assume I’m way more elegant than I really am.”
Because the name is so common, many Annas and Anas grow up sharing classrooms, dorms, or offices with at least one other person who has the exact same name. That can lead to endless variations: Anna K. and Anna P., “Tall Ana” and “Short Ana,” or the classic “Office Anna” vs. “Gym Ana.” If you like having a built-in icebreaker (“Wait, which Anna are you talking about?”), this can be surprisingly fun.
On the flip side, that same popularity means you’re unlikely to spend your life explaining how to spell or pronounce your name. For most English speakers, Anna is intuitive; for Spanish speakers, Ana is equally straightforward. You don’t have to correct people at the coffee counter, and you’re not stuck with a name that constantly gets autocorrected into something bizarre. In an age of incredibly creative baby names, that kind of low-drama consistency is almost a luxury.
Parents who choose the name often say they love its flexibility. Anna or Ana works on a toddler, a teenager, and a CEO. It’s cute on playground roll calls, but it doesn’t look out of place on a résumé, a doctoral thesis, or a movie poster. If the child grows into a musician, it pairs nicely with a stage-ready last name; if they become a scientist or journalist, it looks perfectly at home on a byline or research paper.
Another real-world perk is how easily the name pairs with nicknames and variations. Anna can turn into Annie, Ann, or even Nana in family circles, while Ana often plays well in double names like Ana María, Ana Sofia, or Ana Paula. That gives people room to tweak their identity as their life changes: someone might be “Annie” in elementary school, “Anna” in college, and “Dr. Anna Lastname” in their professional life.
Culturally, being an Anna or Ana can also be a quiet connector. People from different backgrounds recognize the name as their own variation – Ana in Latin America, Anna in Central and Eastern Europe, Anya or Hanna in other regions – and that recognition often sparks small, friendly conversations. “My grandmother was named Ana too,” someone might say, or “In my country, almost every family has an Anna.” The name becomes a tiny bridge between cultures.
Of course, there are downsides. If you crave absolute uniqueness, sharing your name with hundreds of thousands of people (and with multiple celebrities) may feel a bit bland. Some Annas joke that they have to “earn” their individuality through style, hobbies, or online handles because the name itself doesn’t do the heavy lifting. Others embrace the opposite: they like that their name feels classic and unfussy, letting their personality stand out instead of their birth certificate.
For people considering baby names, looking at famous people named Anna and famous people named Ana can actually be reassuring. There are successful Annas in pretty much every field: arts, sciences, sports, activism, business. That variety sends a quiet message – this is a name that doesn’t pigeonhole your child. They can be bold, quiet, creative, analytical, introverted, extroverted, or somewhere in between, and the name still fits.
Whether you’re collecting trivia for your next pub quiz, picking a baby name, or just trying to remember which Anna starred in which movie, one thing is clear: Anna and Ana are here to stay. The celebrity lists will keep growing, new breakout stars will join the ranks, and somewhere out there, another kid named Anna or Ana is watching their favorite film and thinking, “Hey, I could do that too.”
Wrapping It Up
From Oscar winners and tennis champions to fashion legends and political icons, this list of famous Annas and Anas shows just how far a timeless name can travel. If your name is Anna or Ana, you’re in wildly accomplished company. And if you’re just here to settle an argument over “Which Anna was in that movie?”, you now have more than enough name-nerd ammunition for your next conversation.